1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for securing sub-munitions placed on board carriers such as rockets, missiles etc, these systems being of the type with straps.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Carriers for sub-munitions generally have them housed in individual compartments or containers which are associated with ejection means such as inflatable bags and are kept in a fixed position, for conveyance, by securing means which are released for their ejection.
In one presently known securing system, tenons are made in the rim of the sub-munition. These tenons are held by clamps that can be released mechanically, by means of rod assemblies. In these systems, the triggering of the ejection is subordinated to the prior release of the securing means. The result thereof is that the response time from an ejection command is not negligible and may adversely affect precision. Furthermore, these systems obligatorily call for the special designing or adapting of the sub-munitions, in that they are provided with adequate hooking tenons.
In other systems, the securing means are released by breaking: the sub-munitions are girdled by straps having embrittled zones or are fastened by screws that break under traction. As compared with the above systems, these systems have the advantage wherein the release is prompted by the triggering of the ejection itself. By contrast, the breaks generate shocks and stresses that are detrimental to the sub-munitions and are often totally unacceptable when these sub-munitions enclose sensitive devices. Furthermore, when the sub-munitions are hooked on at several points, namely with several straps or several screws, it is not possible to ensure that the breaks will take place with perfect simultaneity. This perfect simultaneity is, however, necessary for accurate ejection without any disturbing moment.
In practice, to mitigate this drawback as far as possible, there is a tendency to limit the number of securing means. In a system with straps for example, the sub-munitions are girdled by two straps only, on either side of a support. This approach, however, raises another problem concerning the distribution of the forces on the sub-munition: under the effect of the triggering of ejection, just before the break occurs, the reaction forces of the two straps, which are relatively far from each other, communicate a certain bending to the sub-munition. Naturally, the same problem arises with securing means using screws.